A Light in the Darkness
by Ghost-and-Miracle42
Summary: "Officer's Ashford and Sullivan, we've received a 999 call about a possible B&E in your area. Location: Number 4 Privet Drive. A caller reported hearing voices from within the property, but the owners are in the US on a business trip." Trigger Warning! Domestic Violence is a serious issue. If you find yourself in a deteriorating situation, call 'Crime Stoppers' in your country.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Notes:**

Disclaimer: This has been written for the International Wizarding Schools Challenge. I do not own the Harry Potter Universe or any of the recognisable characters or locations mentioned henceforth.

School: Ilvermorny

Theme: Lumos

Prompt: "You're my very own prince charming," she said. [Speech]

Year: 7

Words: 2639

* * *

 **A Light in the Darkness**

* * *

"All I'm saying is its people like you that give us a bad reputation," Kara pointed out as she sat in the front seat of the blue and white car rolling down the dark, empty street.

"It's not my fault there's a stigma against it," Barry countered from the driver's seat. He reached down with his left hand and plucked a doughnut out of the box sitting on the centre console of the car, "I just like doughnuts. What's so bad about that?"

"You'll rot your teeth," Kara grumbled, sitting back in the seat, adjusting her badge as the seat belt became caught on it. She glanced out the window at the houses lining the road. This was the section of their beat she hated. Little Whinging. Every time she drove through this neighbourhood, she couldn't the help the eerie feeling of melancholy that settled over her. Maybe it was the houses, how they were perfectly identical to each other, with no variation. Hell, most of the garden beds were mirror images!

"You still love me." Barry winked at her, and Kara sighed, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. They'd been dating for a year now, and she had a pretty good idea that he was getting ready to propose to her. Keeping the ring box in his underwear drawer while he showered was probably not the best idea he'd ever had.

"Yes, you're my very own prince charming," she said with a smirk.

 _"Officer's Ashford and Sullivan, we've received a 999 call about a possible B &E in your area. Location: Number 4 Privet Drive. A caller reported hearing voices from within the property, but the owners are in the US on a business trip." _Officer Adam's voice echoed over the radio. Kara picked up the receiver and held it to her mouth.

"Officer's Ashford here, we'll check it out."

 _"Be careful."_ Adam's voice went quiet, and Barry turned the car down the next street: Magnolia Crescent.

"If it is a break in, the perps probably long gone," Barry said.

"Maybe… Maybe not…" Kara replied. She checked her gun holster and satisfied that it was still firmly secured, returned her eyes to the road. Barry turned onto Privet Drive, another road full of cookie-cutter houses, and Kara started counting mailboxes. It didn't take long for them to pull up outside Number Four.

The house was as the dispatch said, dark and seemingly empty. There was no car parked outside, and there were no lights in the windows. The front door remained closed. The partners quietly got out of the squad car and advanced up the driveway on foot.

"Looks like a false alarm," Barry said.

"Then why call the cops?" Kara replied. Barry didn't have an answer for that, so Kara tried the door handle. Locked. She pressed her ear to the keyhole and closed her eyes. It took a few seconds for her to pick it up, the voice was incredibly soft, barely audible from outside, but it was there. Kara could barely make out the words, but she did catch what she thought might have been, 'hungry', 'cold' and 'freak'. Kara's stomach twisted, and she leaned back from the door.

Kara had seen a lot of things in her five years as a cop. Drug Trafficking, high-speed chases, even child smuggling and rape. But the one case she hadn't caught was a juvenile one. Those were usually reserved for the Detectives. She had a feeling that streak had just ended.

She grabbed her radio and whispered into it, "Call was good. A person is in the property, possibly a child. Preparing to enter." Swallowing the bile that rose unwittingly to her throat, she stepped back and gestured to Barry. He kicked the door right on the handle, the lock snapped, and the cheap wood swung open.

Kara was the first inside, torch illuminated and in hand. She hadn't drawn a weapon yet, but she had a feeling she wouldn't need to. The voice had stopped, vanished as if it were never there. A window in the kitchen was open, most likely the reason for the 999 call. The house itself was clearly empty and had not been visited in several days. In fact, nothing seemed to be out of place at all. Every vase, every ceramic plate was completely free of dust. The floor had been recently mopped and vacuumed, and nothing was moving. Not at all what you expected from a breaking and entering case.

Kara and Barry cautiously made their way into the house, looking around every corner, every sofa for their vanished infiltrator. But the kid, if it was a kid, wasn't to be found. Barry made to mount the stairs, then stopped suddenly, shinning his torch towards a cupboard beneath the stairs.

"Kara…" Kara walked over to see what he'd found, and stopped dead, almost losing her grip on the torch. The cupboard had a small grate in the door, with slates barely wide enough for air to fit through. The door had three bolts on the outside. Kara let out a strangled cry and latched onto the door, pulling the pins free with more force than was strictly necessary.

Kara pulled the cupboard door open, and her nose was instantly assaulted with the smell of old faeces and urine. Forcing back a gag, she reached into the cupboard and pulled on a string hanging from a roof. A lightbulb flickered on, illuminating the tiny space, which had no less than eleven spiders that Kara could count, scuttling over the walls. In the corner was a bucket, and lying on an old camp bed, with no blanket and only an oversized shirt to keep him warm, was a tiny sleeping boy with black hair, cuddled as tightly as possible into a ratty old pillow. Kara's heart broke at the sight, and tears that started sliding freely down her face.

"Dispatch get the Detectives down here. We've got a child abuse case. And it's a big one." Barry called into the radio.

 _"Back up is on route to your location. Standby."_

Kara reached into the cupboard and lifted the tiny boy out of the darkened space. He didn't wake, and she held him close to her chest as she stood up. She glanced at Barry, who had moved down from the stairs to stand beside her. He too had glassy eyes, and his free hand was clenched in a fist. Kara ran a hand through the boy's hair, and he snuggled unconsciously into her shoulder.

 _"Mummy… Knew you'd… save me…"_ He murmured in his sleep. Kara choked back a sob and clutched the boy even tighter.

"Come on honey, let's get you out of here." That's when she heard the sound of a shotgun pulling back.

Instinctively, she spun around, placing her back between the incoming bullet and the sleeping child. She felt a set of hands push her into the stairwell, and she twisted just enough so that she landed on the shoulder without the toddler clinging to it. She winced as the step cracked under her weight, a splinter embedding itself in her skin. The shot discharged, followed by a second ' _bang!'_ , two simultaneous grunts of pain, a child's scream, and two thuds.

Kara, using every ounce of willpower she had, pulled herself and the now very awake young boy in her arms behind the open cupboard door. It wasn't the best cover, but it would have to do for now.

"Shh, Shh. Honey, I need you to be quiet now," She begged the squirming child. Forcing her hand not to shake, she pointed to the badge on her shoulder.

"You see this? I'm the police. I'm here to help. But I need you to be quiet for just a second so I can do that, ok?" The boy looked at the badge with wild green eyes, his face pale and his entire body shaking like a leaf. Then he looked into Kara's blue orbs and seemed to calm slightly. He nodded his head slightly, before burying his head back into her shoulder and weeping. With his head removed, Kara had an uninterrupted view of where she and Barry had been standing a second before. But now Barry lay on the floor, blood pooling from a gunshot wound to the neck. He had pushed her out of the way… a split second… they should've heard… sloppy… left the door open… he pushed her… oh, God…

The boy wriggled in her arms, and a drop of water ran down Kara's arm. A tear. Snapping back to reality, and calling on all her training at the police academy to help her focus, she grabbed her radio.

"Shots fired! I repeat shots fired! Officer down and civilian child in play!"

 _"Stay calm Kara, back up is one minute away…"_

Kara drew her gun and, not looking at Barry, glanced around the cupboard door.

The man lying in the doorway was incredibly fat. Literally. He looked like a hippopotamus on two legs. He had a large bushy moustache, thinning blonde hair and his face was a bright shade of purple. He lay on the ground, a double-barrel shotgun discarded a metre away, clutching at his side, where blood was very visibly leaking through his shirt and onto the floor.

He wasn't looking at her.

Kara, making a split-second decision, flung herself around the cupboard door, gun pointed right at the man's heart and kicked the shotgun away.

"Police! Put your hands above your head now!" She yelled. The fat man turned towards her, and his eyes latched onto the boy in her arms. His face went from pain, to rage in a split second, his pupils dilating and his fists clenching.

"Get outta my house!" The man screamed. Kara gripped the pistol tighter. The boy pulled his head free and swivelled to look at the man. In an instant, he started violently shaking again and buried himself deep in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" he mumbled frantically.

"You should be sorry, freak! You should be arresting that… that… freak of nature! Instead, you break into my house! You… you must be one of them… one of the freaks!" And in that moment, Kara felt a single burning thought seer itself into her brain. It came from her heart. A heart that was desperately trying to tear itself apart. A heart being held together by adrenaline and sheer force of will. Kill him. One shot. Self-defence. That's all it would take. Kill this piece of filth. He abused this boy… he… he… _Barry…_ Her mind flashed to the ring box hidden in the underwear drawer. To all the times they had laughed together at the doughnut shop Barry loved. To their apartment… She took a deep breath and lowered the gun.

Then the sound of sirens filled the air, and three squad cars skidded to a halt on the street. Doors were flung open, and a dozen men and women dressed in blue and white ran up the driveway.

"POLICE!" Detective Abby and her partner Jarrod were the first inside. Abby was on her knees, pulling the man's hands behind his back as he continued to shout about Freaks while Jarrod pulled her into a fierce hug. She broke down, the damn coming loose as the adrenaline faded away. She sunk to her knees and Jarrod went with her. She balled into his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs. And she held the tiny boy in her arms as tightly as she could. Refusing to let him go. She heard calls of "Ambulance! We need medical help now!" But barely processed them. All her attention was fixated on the boy still shivering in her embrace. It was the only thing she could let herself focus on. If she thought about anything else… She kept her eyes trained on the boy as Jarred allowed her to bawl, arms wrapped tightly around her. She thought Abby or someone else might have replaced him at some point, but she couldn't be sure.

Hours later, when Kara finally cried herself to sleep, she and the young boy she'd rescued, who refused to even budge from his position in her arms, were driven by ambulance to Royal Surrey Hospital. Officer Barry Sullivan was pronounced dead at the scene, having sacrificed himself to protect his partner and a young child.

* * *

Ten years later, Kara Ashford stood on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, waiting for her surrogate son Harry to return from his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry was the bright spark at the centre of her life, the only thing that pulled her through the aftermath of Number 4 Privet Drive. After the shooting, Harry had stayed attached to her hip, refusing to even leave her side at the hospital. She was perfectly fine with that arrangement, as she didn't want to let him out of her sight either. A background check revealed that young mister Harry Potter was the only son of James and Lily Potter, both of whom had died under mysterious circumstances. Harry had been left with the Dursley family – his only family relation – by persons unknown. The extent of the abuse Harry had endured was horrifying, to say the least. The boy, who had been three when Kara and Barry had rescued him, hadn't even known his own name, merely responding to the name 'Freak'. Kara had quit the force and taken over parenting for Harry, devoting everything she had into being the best possible mother he could ask for to make up for all the horror he had been subjected to in that… place. She hoped that somewhere Barry, Lily and James Potter were smiling down on her.

"Mum!" Kara was broken out of her thoughts by the sight of Harry rushing towards her, his owl and trunk in hand. She bent down, and he threw himself into her arms, owl cage banging against her back. She squeezed him tight, and they stayed like that until Harry started coughing.

"Mum… can't… breathe!" Kara reluctantly let Harry go, and he immediately started heavy faux breathing.

"What's got you so excited?" She asked him, ruffling his hair and picking up his trunk.

"You're never going to believe it! Sirius Black, you know the murderer?"

Kara's eyes went wide, "Harry, what did I tell you after the giant bloody snake! Please tell me you didn't take on a murderer!"

"I didn't! Black is innocent! And he's my Godfather!" Harry launched into a tirade about the adventures he'd had that year that weren't safe to send via letter as they walked to the car. Just as they were about to get inside, Harry grabbed her arm, and she turned to look into his vibrant green eyes.

"When I was making the Patronus… I thought about you. About what it was like to have a mum who cared for me and loved me… and it made me realise that I never thanked you for rescuing me from the darkness. I… I don't want to think about what might have happened if I was stuck there for ten years. You were my light in the darkness. And I just wanted to say thank you, for everything that you never had to do for a kid you didn't even know…" Kara pulled Harry into another bone-crushing hug, tears running down her face.

"You did just as much for me honey. You were the only thing that got me through it, losing him, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. We're each other's light, and we'll always be there to chase away the darkness, no matter how much there is, or how hard it fights back."

"I love you, Mum," Harry whispered.

"I love you too sweetheart. I love you too."


	2. Vol II

**A Light in the Darkness: Vol II**

 _Disclaimer: Some of the Dialogue in this chapter is taken from the Order of the Phoenix._

* * *

Kara detested the Wizarding World. It wasn't the magic, or even the genocidal terrorists. It was how _backwards_ everything was. Gender roles appeared to be stuck somewhere in Victorian times; the political climate seemed to be edging closer and closer to apartheid each day, and the industrial revolution simply hadn't happened. As in, they didn't even have lightbulbs. If Kara had her way, she and Harry would have nothing to do with Hogwarts or Ministries of Magic or Dark Lords. But she was, unfortunately, not the supreme overlord of the universe, so she had to deal with the hand she was dealt with.

However, despite her long list of reservations, seeing how excited her son became when talking about magic and all the adventures he'd had at Hogwarts School meant that she would never tell him her real thoughts on the society he grew closer and closer to every year. Nor would she _ever_ tell him of the horrible fears that gnawed at her mind each time he left on that cursed train.

Now, with his parent's killer on the loose, Kara was taking no chances. She couldn't teach him magic, and nor could he practice it in her 'muggle' home without fear of getting caught. What she could teach her son was how to defend himself. She wasn't proud of what she'd done, but it was necessary, and she knew that Barry and even her old police captain would agree that her decision had been the right one.

Two days after picking Harry up from his fourth year at Hogwarts, Kara had taken her son – who looked more depressed, dejected and terrified than she'd ever seen him before – to a shooting range outside London. There, they had met with her old firearms instructor from the police academy, and together they had spent hours teaching Harry how to wield primitive 'muggle' weaponry. From pistols to rifles to sub-machine guns. Both she and the instructor had been stunned by Harry's accuracy and precision with the weapons. After about ten minutes on each weapon to adjust to the kickback, Harry usually managed to hit the target on his first few tries. Within half an hour, he would be hitting dead on the mark with numerous shots. Seeing Kara's shocked face, he'd sheepishly reminded her that he'd been training accuracy with personal projectile weapons since he was eleven. Kara had felt immensely stupid for not realising it. His _wand_. He meant his _wand_. He'd then gone on to say that, while a wand was more comfortable to wield – due to the lack of deafening noise and backlash – the guns he'd tried were far more accurate – sights would do that – and had much faster rates of fire, as they required no incantations or time spent coming up with a spell.

Kara and Harry had returned to the shooting range every day for a week, allowing Harry to get a feel for every weapon on offer, and Kara to refresh herself on what she had forgotten. He preferred pistols, as they felt the most similar to his wand, though he was freakishly good with a P-90 and an AR-15. Ironically, he had struggled with the more traditional hunting rifles. The training also had another benefit she hadn't expected. Harry's depression slowly melted away during the week, replaced by a fierce determination that Kara found slightly unnerving in a fifteen-year-old boy. When she'd questioned him on it, he'd simply said, "This is the first time someone has actually bothered to teach me some real self-defence." She had said nothing to that. She was getting what she wanted, and she would take what she could get. It didn't mean she didn't want to punch Albus Dumbledore in the face though.

Once she was satisfied with Harry's competency, Kara had called up one of Detective Abby's old police informants and asked him if the IRA still sold arms out of that warehouse down in Stratford. He'd said yes, then hung-up the phone. They'd given her what she wanted – the means to defend herself and her son. Not that they did much good against invisible life-sucking ghosts.

Yet, Kara would begrudgingly admit, despite how backwards the Wizarding World was and how terrified she was of 'Voldemort', there was one thing about magic she and Harry agreed on perfectly. Flying on a broomstick over London was the most exhilarating thing they'd ever done.

Harry's advance guard touched down in a park north of London. Kara's sense of direction wasn't as good as Barry's had been, but if she had to guess, she'd say they were in Islington or Holloway. As soon as Harry's feet hit the ground, she slid from the broomstick, unclipped the P-90 from her belt and lifted it to her shoulder, scanning the surrounds. Would her Glock have been enough? Probably, but Kara was not taking any more chances tonight. Her night vision and reaction times were distorted by the broomstick flight, but she had more than enough awareness for a perimeter sweep.

The townhouses lining the road were significantly more unkept than London standard, with many featuring broken or shuttered windows and rubbish piled up around the exteriors. Several streetlights were damaged, flickering unsteadily or simply not illuminating at all. Harry dismounted from his broom, drawing his wand and scanning himself, Kara noted with a hint of pride. Kara crouched low and stalked forward as the other wizards landed around her with far less decorum than Harry possessed. She winced each time one of them made an unnecessary noise. Alastor Moody landed last, immediately jumping from his modified broomstick and performing a sweep of his own. She _liked_ him. Kara finished her circle and took up a position opposite the two gates in and out of the park.

"Poor neighbourhood, subject to frequent gang-violence. Italian I'd guess, the flickering lights is a trademark of theirs," she hissed, "I count three potential hostiles; two dealers between the lights one hundred metres north-west, and a runner on the southside. Watchers from the windows could be a problem. Otherwise, we're quiet." Two of the wizards laughed at her, but Moody just grunted, before drawing a cylindrical device from his coat and clicking it. Immediately, the streetlight nearest her snuffed out. He clicked the device again, and each time another light would go out. Kara shut her eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness, listening for movement.

"Borrowed that from Dumbledore," Moody said, "Should take care of the Muggles looking out those windows." Kara opened her eyes, now suitably adjusted to the darkness, and decided she very much wanted one of those devices. Moody grabbed Harry by the arm, and Kara had to resist the urge to snap at him. He guided Harry towards the north gate, Kara taking up a position directly behind them, the pink-haired witch – Tonks – and the scared man – Lupin – on either side of her.

"Why here? Shouldn't a magical safehouse be somewhere… I don't know… more magical?" She whispered.

"We'll talk inside," Lupin said as Tonks tripped over a step. Kara closed her mouth as they walked through the gate and ducked across the road. Once on the pavement, Moody drew a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Harry, ordering him to memorise the contents. He looked confused, before doing as he was told. Then he gave the paper to Kara.

 _The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place._

Instantly another house appeared in the street, complete with an old door, dirt-covered windows and an overgrown front yard. Kara contained her gasp of surprise, but she had to blink a few times to come to terms with what had just happened. _They could make whole buildings invisible. God, what chance do I have?_

Moody led them forward and up the stairs to number 12, and Kara started at the doorknocker. It was in the symbol of a snake – the symbol of Voldemort. Kara snapped her weapon up at Moody.

"What game are you playing?" She demanded, hand tensing on the grip.

"None. I'm trying to keep the kid safe. Now get inside!" Moody barked, before pushing the door open and storming inside. Kara pulled Harry behind her, then followed much more carefully.

The inside of the house was pitch black, so she flicked the light on the tactical light fitted to the side of her weapon. They were in a long hallway with peeling wallpaper and old portraits hanging in gilded frames. The carpet was threadbare, and the candelabra hanging from the ceiling was shaped like a snake. Oh, she did _not_ like this.

"Neat trick that," Tonks said as Lupin flicked a light switch. A long hissing sound, the sound of gas tripping a fuse, echoed through the dim hallway, and a dozen old gas-lamps ignited, plunging the corridor into flickering golden light. Heavy footsteps thudded from a staircase further down, then Molly Weasley was rushing towards them. Kara switched off her light, breathing a sigh of relief, and lowered her weapon. Finally, a friendly face.

"Harry! Kara! Thank goodness you're both alright!" Molly pulled Harry into a rib-crushing hug before releasing him and turning to the group of wizards behind them. "He's here. The meetings already started." The others all nodded, before making their way past Harry and Molly to a doorway with visible light pooling through the crack between door and floor. As soon as Moody passed, Kara made to follow, but Molly stood in her way.

"I'm so sorry dear, but the meeting is for Order members only, why don't I show you upstairs and…" Kara narrowed her eyes and scowled. Then she shoved the Weasley matriarch into the wall and followed Moody's retreating form.

"Mum! What are you doing?" Harry exclaimed, hastily apologising to Molly before following at her heel.

"I'm going to be in that meeting if I have to kick the door down to do it."

"Mum, please, don't piss them off. They're just trying to help…"

"Don't care. You're welcome to go upstairs if you want, but I think I know you better than that." She smirked at him, and Harry didn't answer. Then, just as the last person was going to close the door, she shoved it open and strode inside like she owned the place. It was a kitchen. And a very smoky one at that, owing to the large hearth at the end of the room. Over twenty chairs had been shoved around a marble counter in the centre of the room, each one occupied by someone wearing those stupid eccentric wizard robes. She recognised Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Moody and the other wizards from Harry's advanced guard, along with Arthur and Bill Weasley. The rest were a mystery, though she could make some educated guesses. The man at the head of the table, with the long flowing white beard, half-moon glasses and pointy hat was obviously Albus Dumbledore. The scraggly, black-haired man at the other end of the table from him who carried the unmistakable look of someone who'd been locked up for a long time was Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather. The elderly woman with the green hat and the stern demeanour matched Harry's description of Professor Minerva McGonagall. And the man with the oil-slick hair, hawk nose and robes of ink-black, would be Severus Snape.

She didn't hesitate. There was an enemy combatant in this room. A direct threat to her son. She lifted the P-90 to her shoulder, flicked the safety off, and shot Snape in the chest. Five times. Just for good measure.

Every wizard and witch in the room instantly threw their hands to their ears as the sound of the sub-machine gun discharging filled the basement kitchen. Turns out 130 decibels of pure reverberated sound (lucky for them, she'd sprung for a silencer) was more than enough to disable a room full of magic-wielding sorcerers in seconds. That was, all except four. Dumbledore, Sirius, Harry and Kingsley. Dumbledore flinched in instant pain, but his wand was out a second later. Sirius – whom Kara assumed had experience with guns from his time on the run, flung himself backwards off his chair in shock, his gaze shooting straight to Harry. Respect. Kingsley did something similar, though his response was centred on Dumbledore and not Harry. As for Harry himself, all that training had evidently paid off, as he barely flinched, instead going to the Glock she'd made him swear to carry around with him at all times.

Snape took two of her five bullets. The other three were deflected by Dumbledore. The force threw Snape back off his chair, hitting the ground headfirst. Everyone in the room turned to Kara, but she was already moving. She spun around and trained her sights at Dumbledore's head, finger hovering on the trigger.

"Give me one good reason," she said, voice betraying no hint of the utter hatred she felt burning deep within. This was the man who had left Harry with the Dursleys. Had confined him to that _hell_. Had the man done no research on the two? Had he not seen the five sexual harassment lawsuits against Vernon Dursley? The traces of financial embezzlement? As far as she was concerned, this man had done as much damage to Harry as Voldemort had. Thank god he couldn't remember most of it, though he would have the physical scars forever.

"Expelliarmus!" Kingsley exclaimed, and a red light shot from his wand. Kara, ignoring the instincts that _screamed_ at her to move out of the way, let the light hit her. Her gun tried to rip away from her hands, but the sling that held the weapon in place did its job, and Kara maintained her hold, refixing her target.

That was when Sirius collapsed to the floor, pissing himself in laughter. That seemed to snap everyone out of their funks, and Molly rushed around the table to check on Snape. Though Kara had not aimed to kill, the injuries would no doubt be severe. Moody, Tonks and Lupin – as well as most of the other wizards – trained their wands on Kara, shouting over one another. Kara remained still, eyes trained on Dumbledore, who hadn't moved. Instead, he was staring at her with a curious expression. Kara felt an unnatural urge to look the man in the eyes, but she ignored it, focussing through her sight on his forehead, and only his forehead.

"Mum!" Harry exclaimed, rushing over to her, but knowing well enough not to touch her, "What are you _doing!"_

"He sent you to those people. Never checked on you. Consigned you to a death sentence. And he let a known enemy combatant, a man who's had a grudge against you since the second you stepped into that school, within fifty metres of you. By all rights and laws of this country, and we are most definitely still in Britain, I should detain him and escort him straight to the nearest police precinct."

"All good points Miss Ashford," Dumbledore said, quieting the room, "And I could give you more excuses than you would need as to why that plan would fail or cause numerous problems for everyone here. But you asked for a reason, and I shall give you one. Without me, your son will die."

They stood there, locked together in total silence aside from Sirius' laughing, until, with gritted teeth, Kara lowered her weapon. Dumbledore nodded softly, before rising from his seat and moving over to Snape. He spoke some complicated enchantment, before helping the man rise to his feet, unharmed. Bloody magic.

Snape drew his wand and aimed it at her, and Kara snapped the gun back up. Then Dumbledore moved in front of him, obscuring Kara's view of the greasy man. He spoke softly then, saying something she couldn't hear. Dumbledore returned to his seat, and Snape lowered his wand, sneering. Kara, hesitantly, restored the safety and moved to take the empty place beside Sirius, whom Lupin was helping back to his feet.

"You can't stay in here; this is Order business. You're a muggle, and I still don't think you should have been allowed inside anyway," Kingsley said sternly.

"Make me leave," she told him. Then she placed her gun on the table, deliberately pointing it at him – though it couldn't fire at the moment. Sirius, still chuckling, finally sat down beside her, and clapped her on the back.

"That was brilliant!" He exclaimed, a smile of utter mirth on his face she couldn't help but grin slyly in return.

"You and I need to have a chat later," she said.

"Can't wait. Harry! Pull up a chair and bring it over here." Harry, beaming, followed Sirius instructions – grabbing a chair and placing it between Sirius and Kara.

"Miss Ashford may remain, but Harry, I must ask you to leave," Dumbledore said. Harry, a look of rage passing over his face, opened his mouth to retort, but Kara beat him to it.

"Nope. He stays. In case you've somehow forgotten, he's the one with the genocidal maniac after him. Ergo, he gets to sit in the meeting about how to stop him." Once again, she drew all the attention in the room. She was beginning to get the feeling not many people ever contradicted Dumbledore when he ordered something. He was going to have to get used to it or have her forcibly removed.

"Miss Ashford. I have my reasons for not allowing Harry to witness these events. You must trust me in this."

"Slight problem there. You see, trust is _earned_. And you're currently in negative numbers as far as I'm concerned." Dumbledore continued to stare at her. He wasn't going to budge on this. Well, perhaps she should start trying honey instead of bullets. She sighed in mock defeat.

"Alright. But just so you know, if I decide your reasons suck, I'll tell him anyway." She turned to Harry, who nodded dejectedly. He rose from the seat, and Molly led him away, talking about taking him to see Ron and Hermione. Once the door closed, Dumbledore began speaking as if nothing had happened. Kara kept switching her gaze between Kingsley and Snape, eyeing them for anything shifty.

She didn't understand most of what was said. Dumbledore went around the table, asking each person about their assignments, and each reported back that they'd made little progress. They mentioned numerous locations Kara had never heard of, and whenever they started talking about spells, her brain tried to mutiny, but she took in what she could. They were struggling with recruitment because the Ministry was attempting to silence them and they'd had no luck in locating Voldemort, who appeared to have gone to ground. There had been no activity at the 'doorway' they were guarding, and Snape had yet to be readmitted into Voldemort's confidences – apparently, he was working as a spy, which Kara didn't believe for a second. Mostly, she talked to Sirius in hushed tones as he filled her in on events in the Wizarding World in a way she could understand. Dumbledore had been terminated from his positions as Speaker of the Wizarding Parliament and Britain's ambassador to the Magical United Nations, both Harry and Dumbledore were being smeared by the Ministry through the government-controlled Daily Prophet newspaper, and people across the Wizarding World were disappearing – the work of Voldemort's terrorist organisation, the Death Eaters. It painted a bleak picture.

Eventually, the meeting broke up, but Kara remained seated, arms folded. Everyone in the room filtered out, including Sirius, who wanted to go and check on Harry, until only Kara and Dumbledore remained.

"Start talking. I want the truth, the real truth."

"You do not get to make demands of me, Miss Ashford. I allowed you to come here as a courtesy, and as a thank you for taking care of Harry. That is all."

Kara balled her hands to fists beneath the table.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Harry's situation is far more complicated than you can possibly realise. I understand you believe you can protect him, but do you really think your machine weapon can defeat Voldemort? I was able to deflect against your attack with ease, and heal the damage you did to Severus in seconds."

"I'll make sure to aim for the head next time. Or maybe I'll buy a sniper rifle. I'm not an expert marksman, but those stupid hats create pretty large targets. All it takes is one shot to the back of the head, and you'll be as dead as anyone else."

Dumbledore's mouth quirked into a hint of a smile then, and it made Kara very uncomfortable.

"Voldemort cannot be killed in such a way I'm afraid, though your method does have a sort of… _flare_."

"Then tell me how to kill him then, and don't say you can only do it with magic, because I call bullshit."

Silence descended on the room for a while then, the only sound from the crackling of the hearth. Eventually, though he seemed to be very conflicted, Dumbledore spoke up once more.

"When Voldemort attacked the Potters that night, and Lily Potter sacrificed herself to save her son, reflecting the Killing Curse back on its caster, Voldemort should have died."

"I had gathered that myself. So why didn't he?"

"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted, "At least, I didn't until a few years ago, when I finally gained a clue." He paused. "Has Harry told you what happened at the end of his second year?"

"About the giant snake? Yes, he did mention it. Almost gave me a heart attack. I doubt I would have believed it if a fricken House Elf hadn't shown up in my living room early that summer." Dumbledore chuckled to himself.

"I did hear about that. But did he tell you why the Basilisk was released? What caused it?"

"He said it was an enchanted Diary that Voldemort made when he was still in school. Lucius Malfoy gave it to Ginny Weasley, and it mind-controlled her?"

"In short, yes. After the event, I spent a great deal of time studying the Diary of Tom Riddle, to try and determine just what it was. In doing so, I believed I discovered Voldemort's method of immortality."

Kara leaned forward, shocked that the old man, who clearly loved his secrets, was telling her all this willingly. What is your game, Dumbledore, and what is my part in it? She was under no delusions that her and Barry finding Harry that day had not been according to whatever goal Dumbledore had for Harry – though she couldn't understand why leaving him with the Dursley's could ever have been a good idea. Surely there would have been plenty of wizards he could have been placed with, or even, if hiding him was so essential, an orphanage would have been better. As it was, any cop worth their salt would have checked with next of kin for a missing child. She sensed there was something she was missing here, and hopefully, Dumbledore would reveal it to her now. _Then_ she could arrest him. If she could figure out how.

"I know it will mean little to you, but you must understand that there are things, magics beyond your comprehension at play."

"Cut the crap, Dumbledore. What did Voldemort do?"

Dumbledore stared at her for a few more seconds, before a resigned look passed over his face.

"Voldemort had broken away a piece of his soul and placed it in the Diary that took control of Miss Weasley. I believe that the night he killed Lily and James Potter, another piece of his soul broke away, becoming embedded within the scar on Harry's forehead. That, if my theory is correct, would explain his power to speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, as well as discern when Voldemort is nearby."

Kara sat perfectly still, digesting that. It made… sense, she supposed. She didn't know much about how magic worked, and she couldn't say she was particularly religious, but if the theory was backed by evidence, she couldn't just dismiss it because she disliked the idea.

"So, we get the soul thingy out of the scar, then I shoot Voldemort, and problem solved?"

"If only it were that simple. I don't know _how_ to remove the soul shard from Harry, as far as I know, nothing like it has ever happened before. Killing him would no doubt do the job, but I imagine neither of us is too enthusiastic about that option." Kara swallowed and shook her head.

"I'm also worried that Voldemort may discover this link he and Harry share and use it to invade his mind, see his thoughts. Hence my not wanting Harry in the meeting tonight, and my keeping the pair of you in the dark over the summer."

"Yeah," she whispered, hand beginning to shake, "Yeah, that makes sense." Finally, she looked Dumbledore in the eye. Harry had said the Professor's eyes had a twinkle to them, but she saw none of it now. "Is there any defence? Anything you can try?"

"There is a method, Occlumency, but it is difficult to learn and usually takes years. Harry does not have that time, nor can I risk teaching him myself, as Voldemort will jump at any chance to invade my mind while my defences are down. Aside from me, the only other person skilled in the art I trust at the moment is Severus, and I assume that's a non-starter with both you and Harry." Kara nodded dumbly. This just kept getting worse and worse. It took a few moments, but she managed to regain her voice.

"Why does he want to kill Harry then?" She asked, not even bothering to hide the tremble in her voice now.

"Vengeance. I expect he doesn't understand this link any more than Harry does, if he even knows about it as of yet." If Kara had been less distraught, she would have caught the slight flutter in Dumbledore's voice as he spoke then, or the slight twitch of the eye.

"Is… is there anything I can do? I… I may not have a lot of money, and I know I can't use magic, but I have contacts. Voldemort wouldn't expect us to hide him with normal people. We could move him around. Harry and I…, we could move out of the country. Change his name, your people wouldn't be able to find us…"

Dumbledore said nothing, and they lapsed back into silence. No, running wouldn't help anyone. They'd just be looking over their shoulders the rest of their life, waiting for him to find them. And… and Harry wouldn't leave all his friends and family at Voldemort's mercy. It just wasn't who he was. And it wasn't who she was either.

"What can I do?" She asked again, this time steeling her voice.

"Remain here for now. The Dementors were undoubtedly sent to find Harry – though I don't know yet if Voldemort sent them himself. Regardless, your location and perhaps your identity too will have been compromised. Tomorrow, Remus and Tonks can accompany you back to your residence to allow you to pack any materials you can. From there, I'm not entirely sure. I will endeavour to come up with an assignment for you, depending on whether your identity has been discovered. At the very least, you can keep Sirius company." Dumbledore rose, then made his way towards the fireplace.

"Do I have your word? You will tell Harry none of this?" God, what a horrible decision that was. Tell your son that on top of being marked for death, he was at risk of having his mind invaded by the man who killed his parents, or lie to him, and say everything was okay?

"I'll tell him it's a security issue, and that I can't tell him why. He'll trust me. I won't tell him about this soul stuff. Not yet. But… you have a year Dumbledore. If you haven't come up with a solution by then, we're going to tell him together. I'm going to hell for this…" she whispered. If she went to hell, then so be it. If she told him this… he would never smile again. He was _fifteen_. She might not be able to do much against immortal magical terrorists, but she could love him as his mother. Protect him, as Lily had before her. Even if that meant protecting him from himself.

Dumbledore left, leaving Kara on her own. Eventually, she moved to a plush couch beside the fire and stared into it, thinking about all her bad options. She didn't know how long she sat there, but soon enough, voices began flitting through the room, Harry's amongst them. Quickly, the smell of food began wafting through the room, accompanied by laughing and joking from the kids. Harry appeared beside her, holding a cup of steaming coffee, which she took gratefully. He sat down on the arm of the chair and looked at her from beneath his glasses.

"So, what happened at the meeting?" Kara forced a laugh.

"To be honest, I didn't understand most of it. Talked about Giant Hunting and keeping watch on important people and places. 'Bout the only thing I understood was that your world's going to shit, which we knew already."

"That's true," he said, chuckling, "I can't believe you shot Snape." Kara raised an eyebrow.

"You _can't_ believe it?"

"I think Fred and George want to build you a shrine, and Ginny said she wants you to adopt her," Harry said, still laughing, "They used this thing called an extendable ear to listen in on the whole thing until Mrs Weasley locked the door behind me." He grew serious again, glancing back towards Molly.

"Why didn't they want me in the room?"

Kara closed her eyes and took a sip of the coffee. Harry had made it exactly as she liked it, with a dash of honey – call her weird, but that was how she liked it.

"Security reasons. They're not so much worried about you as they are about the others." She couldn't bring herself to look at him as the words came out.

"Ron and Hermione wouldn't tell anyone, neither would Fred or George or Ginny."

"Not on purpose. You've slipped up to me plenty of times when you've been trying to hide something. It's not that we don't trust you, it's that the risk is too great. If it makes you feel better, not all the Order members were allowed to hear every conversation either. Dumbledore… he used this muting spell when Snape talked so that only a couple of people could hear what he said."

Harry sat quietly for a few seconds, then nodded.

"I trust you. If you say it's too big a risk, it's too big a risk. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, it doesn't," She said, "I'm don't either. The only reason I think they let me keep my memories was because I'm under house arrest now too. At least Sirius will have some company."

Harry snorted, "yeah, Sirius was telling me about that. He thinks almost as bad about Dumbledore as you do."

"Harry! Dinner!" Molly called.

"You want some food?" He asked. Kara shook her head. If she tried to eat now, she was afraid she might just vomit.

"Go join your friends." Harry slipped off the chair and returned to the table, and Kara watched him sit down between Ron and Hermione and begin eating. She turned back to the fire and stared at it, forgotten by the room's inhabitants, until another person came to sit down in the chair opposite her. One Sirius Black.

"I owe you the biggest thank-you in the history of mankind," He said, wringing his hands together and looking at his shoes.

"No you don't," she told him, "I saved a little boy from a life of misery and horror. Anyone would do the same."

"No, they wouldn't. That's not how the world works, and I think you know that. You can't have been a cop if you didn't."

Kara took another sip of her coffee.

"I… wish I could go back, change what I did. But I can't. I'm just so thankful that Harry had you to save him when I couldn't. When he told me what you did, how your partner died… well, I think I almost broke."

"I did break," she whispered, "I shattered into a million pieces. That boy," she gestured to Harry, who was laughing at something Ginny had said, "my _son_. He put me back together."

"He has a habit of doing that," Sirius said. "That girl there, Ginny, I don't know if he told you about…"

"Yeah he did."

"Well, its thanks to him she's still alive. We've… become close while I've been stuck in here, and she told me about how after, he would sit in the Hospital Wing by her bedside, helping her with the work she'd missed. Then he saved me from doing something really stupid… and, well, you raised one hell of a kid Miss Ashfield."

Kara really didn't know what to say to that, so she just mumbled a thank you, and turned back to the fire.

"And, because I can't imagine you haven't thought about it, James and Lily would be so thankful for you for everything you've done for their son. And since they aren't here to tell you that themselves, I'll say it for them. Thank you for raising my Godson."

He stood up and left to re-join the table. Kara closed her eyes, and listened to the collective voices, pulling apart conversations. Tonks was entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose between mouthfuls while Arthur, Bill and Lupin had engaged in a discussion about goblins. Kara could still remember the first time she'd seen a goblin. She was quite proud to say she hadn't shrieked. Finally, at the far end of the table, Fred, George, Ron and the thief – Mundungus Fletcher – were discussing a scam he'd pulled. Kara itched to go and cuff the guy. She managed to restrain herself, if only because she didn't actually have any handcuffs.

Nothing overly exciting happened otherwise. At least, until Sirius spoke up for the first time since he'd returned to the table.

"You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

And so, the ball began to roll. Kara glanced back towards the table and was rewarded with the sight of Molly gripping the arms of her dining chair in a vice. Lupin, Bill and Arthur all sat up straight, their previous conversation forgotten, and all the kids turned towards Sirius in curiosity.

"I did!" said Harry exclaimed. "I asked Ron and Hermione, but they said we're not allowed in the Order, and then Mum said it's a security risk…"

"And they're quite right," said Molly stated, voice low. "You're too young."

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" asked Sirius. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happening, and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order. More than some."

"Hang on!" interrupted George loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" said Fred angrily. "We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month, and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!"

"'You're too young, you're not in the Order'," Fred mimicked, heightening his voice into an eerily accurate impression of his mother, "Harry's not even of age!"

Both of them were ignored.

"No one denies what he's done!" Molly continued, "But he's still…"

"He's not a child, not anymore. Not after what he's been through. None of these kids are," Sirius pointed out impatiently.

"He's not an adult either!" Molly steamed, colour rising in her cheeks. "He's not James, Sirius!"

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly," said Sirius coldly.

"I'm not sure you are! "Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"

"What's wrong with that?" said Harry.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!" Molly said venomously, eyes boring into Sirius. "You are still at school, and that means that you aren't ready for such things."

"It's not down to you to decide what Harry's ready for and what he isn't!" Sirius snapped, louder than was strictly necessary.

"It may as well be."

Kara froze, as did everyone else. Molly really _had_ forgotten Kara was there, because, when she saw everyone staring at her in shock, she continued.

"Well, it's true isn't it? She's a lovely woman, but she's just a muggle…"

"Watch how you talk about my Mum," Harry said dangerously.

"Mum, back down," Bill said, tone brokering no-nonsense.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but…"

"But nothing," Kara said, voice low – at complete odds to the yelling. She stood and walked up to the table, hand resting on the P-90 still attached to her chest.

"I am the only one here who gets to decide what _my_ son is ready for and what he isn't. Regardless of whether I'm a wizard or not. I appreciate everything you've done for Harry that I couldn't Molly, but this is my choice, not yours, and I agree with Sirius. Pretending Harry, and his friends, are still kids, be they 17, 15, 14 or _9_ , is idiocy. They are the ones on the front lines in this fight, as much as I might wish they weren't. Five people in this room are on Voldemort's most wanted list – Harry, Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Ginny - and four of them are underage. That isn't going to stop him and his followers from trying to kill them, it's just going to make them easier targets. The better equipped and prepared they are, the better. Harry, start asking your questions." She pulled out a vacated seat, and sat down beside Ginny, eyes locked on Molly, all colour gone from her face as she realised just what she'd said.

"Arthur!" she stuttered, rounding on her husband. "Arthur, back me up!" Arthur looked as if he'd been backed into a very tight corner indeed. He bit his lip, then removed his glasses and cleaned them, only then did he speak.

"Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in, to a certain extent, now that he is staying at Headquarters."

"I agree with Arthur," Lupin said, staring at his empty plate, ""I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this. He's old enough to decide for himself."

Molly, seeing that no support would come, sighed in defeat. "Very well," she said, voice cracking. "Ginny - Ron - Hermione - Fred - George – I want you out of this kitchen, now."

Instantly, the kitchen broke into an uproar, with each person vehemently arguing as to why they should be allowed to stay and Molly refusing them all.

Kara had never really disliked the plump witch, but she had known that Molly didn't like her. It had become rather evident after Molly had picked Harry up from their house for a trip during the summer of Harry's second year at Hogwarts. Since then, Arthur had been the one to pick Harry up for every other visit he'd had with the Weasleys. But this… this seemed overly extreme.

Ultimately, all the arguing was silenced by an undeniable truth.

"I'm just going to tell them all anyway, so you may as well let them stay," Harry said. Molly then rose to her feet, and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Arthur sighed. "I should probably go after her," he said, before rising and doing just that.

"Well then," Sirius said, winking at Kara as a smile of victory slid across his face, "What do you want to know?"

It was long past midnight when Sirius led everyone upstairs. Kara tried not to look too hard at the shrunken heads in their glass cases as the rose.

"I didn't know if you wanted to sleep with Ron or your Mum, Harry…" Sirius was saying after they'd bid goodbye to Hermione and Ginny on the first floor. Ginny looked especially thrilled at having been included in the kitchen discussion. Kara couldn't help but notice the way that Harry's gaze lingered on her as she said goodnight and closed the door, smiling softly at one another.

"I'll stay with Ron," Harry said eagerly, "I'd rather not have to sleep with you, Mum. No offence."

"None taken," she said, waving off his concern.

"Well then, this is you, see you tomorrow."

"Night Sirius, night Mum."

Kara pulled Harry into her arms for a hug.

"Try and get some sleep," she whispered for his ears only.

"I'll try."

"Good enough." They split apart, and Harry followed Ron into his room. They rose another floor, where they parted ways with Fred and George, then proceeded along a dark hallway.

"I made up the master suite for you. Seemed only right. Plus, it was the cleanest room."

"You don't have to do that, Sirius. It's your house…"

"I'm sleeping in my old room, haven't touched them. Ah… if you hear any weird noises, it's just the hippogriff upstairs. I keep him in my mother's room out of spite." They both laughed, before reaching a door at the end of the hall.

"Well goodnight," he said, before turning on his heel and fleeing. Kara entered the room and was relieved to find it had been cleaned. The window was open as well, helping to clear out the damp, dusty smell that permeated the rest of the house. She unhooked her weapon and lay it on the dresser, before laying down on the bed, and falling to sleep with a heavy heart, and laden mind.

* * *

 ** _Authors Notes:_** _We've wanted to come back to this story for a while now, to explore a little more how Kara would have an effect on Harry's life. We might turn this into an anthology series, though the updates won't be too regular – we're rather busy at the moment._


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